What is Shinzo Abe up to?

[mota bhai 2,675]

By Kosuke Takahashi
February 13, 2014

For mainstream Japanese conservatives such as the Abe family, Tokyo has been shackled since it accepted the judgments of the International Military Tribunal for the Far East, known as the Tokyo Trials. For one thing, as a defeated nation Japan has always been forced to take a servile position— militarily and diplomatically—toward the U.S., the World War II victor. And Japan has had to repeatedly bow its head to its neighbors, such as China and South Korea, to apologize for its conduct during the war.

Willingly or not, Japan embraced these two international restraints when it signed the San Francisco Peace Treaty in 1951, hoping to return to the fold of the international community as an independent nation.

More than 60 years later, though, the Abe administration wants to free Japan from these perceived shackles. In his own words, he is seeking a “departure from the postwar regime” by “bringing back Japan” ... Many Japanese believe what he meant is to bring back a militarily, diplomatically and economically strong Japan from the political and economic abyss of the past decades, and perhaps in the long term from the U.S. itself.

...

What is Abe’s grand strategy? In fact, Abe has a three-year plan to accomplish his ultimate goal of having Japan “depart from the postwar regime.”

Abe’s Three-Year Plan

During the first year of his second term in office 2013, Abe proposed a move from “passive pacifism” to a “proactive pacifism” that encourages Japan to contribute more proactively to world peace and international cooperation. He then established a Japanese National Security Council (NSC). He also announced the first National Security Strategy (NSS) and the National Defense Programme Guidelines (NDPG) that introduced the concept of “a Dynamic Joint Defense Force.” This new concept emphasizes the Self-Defense Forces’ (SDF) joint operations and interoperability capability at sea, in the air and on land, and bolster the nation’s defensive posture in the southwest—in particular the Nansei island chain that includes Okinawa and the disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu islands in the East China Sea.

...

Now, in his second year, Abe is trying to reinterpret the constitution to allow for the exercise of the right of collective self-defense. Abe will also formally abolish Japan’s decades-old ban on weapons exports this year. In January, his administration revised textbook screening guidelines to give Japanese children a more patriotic take on modern Japanese history and to better reflect the government’s view on territorial issues such as on Senkaku Islands. Abe has also succeeded in placing four conservative intellectuals with whom he has very close ties on Japan’s public television NHK’s management board. Some of their comments have already stirred considerable controversy.

In this third year, 2015, Abe plans to change Article 9 of the U.S.-imposed pacifist constitution, accomplishing his final goal of escaping from the postwar regime.

...

Abe’s Historical Perspective

An attempt at bringing Japan out of the postwar regime in terms of national security issues will inevitably require the country to address the issue of its historical view, sparking a national debate on modern history.

In this context, Abe’s visit to the Yasukuni Shrine is a manifest of his determination to accomplish his final goal. He needs to unite at least his conservative allies and supporters within Japanese political circles amid domestic and foreign opposition.

The most important question to come out of his visit to the shrine is whether Abe really thinks that Japan’s wartime leaders, such as Hideki Tojo and Abe’s own grandfather Nobusuke Kishi, a Class A war crimes suspect by order of the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers, did the wrong thing or not during the war.

It is apparent that Abe believes they were innocent. His book Towards a Beautiful Country: My Vision For Japan, published in 2006, is revealing on this and other aspects of the prime minister’s thinking.

In the book, he says that Japanese war-time leaders bore the greatest share of responsibility, but pointed out that the majority of the public also supported the military strongly ... He also notes that Class A war criminals were brought before the Tokyo Trials on charges of “crimes against peace” and “crimes against humanity,” based on concepts formed after the war, questioning the legitimacy of the trials.

...

Abe is on record repeatedly defending Japan’s conduct before and during World War II. On April 23 last year, Abe even told the Diet that he does not believe Japan’s occupation of other Asian countries during the war can be considered “invasions.” According to Abe, that’s because there are no set international or academic definitions of the word “invasion.” He claimed, “It depends on the point of view of individual countries.”

U.S.-Japan Relations

What kind of relations does Abe want with the U.S., Japan’s closest ally?

...

He wants to enhance Japan’s role in the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty by authorizing the use of the right to collective self-defense so as to contribute to U.S. global strategy. He believes that by assuming a greater role in U.S.-Japan security cooperation and by placing the U.S.-Japan relationship on a more equal footing, Japan can better stand up to the U.S., such as on the issue of U.S. military bases in Okinawa.

Kosuke Takahashi is a Tokyo-based journalist. His work has appeared in the Asahi Shimbun, Bloomberg, Asia Times, NK News and Jane’s Defence Weekly, among other publications. You can follow him on Twitter @TakahashiKosuke

http://thediplomat.com/2014/02/shinzo-abes-nationalist-strategy/?allpages=yes

[Pooky 3,840]

Abe needs to strengthen the Japanese military, because Godzilla is about to be unleashed once more!

[luckytxn 2,265]

Well the U.S. needs to bring our troops home and Japan needs to start spending a lot on their military for self defense. China is right there and will own them if they don't.

Edited February 14, 2014 by luckytxn

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

Well the U.S. needs to bring our troops home and Japan needs to start spending a lot on their military for self defense. China is right there and will own them if they don't.

That's a big 10-4 Cowboy

[Pooky 3,840]

Well the U.S. needs to bring our troops home and Japan needs to start spending a lot on their military for self defense. China is right there and will own them if they don't.

How does Japan manage that, without inciting fears of its Militaristic, Imperial past?

Many of its neighbours, especially China and Russia, will do everything they can to prevent any change in Japan's military posture, or an increase in Japanese military spending. The Chinese have disputes with Japan in the East China Sea, while the Russians still hold the Kurile Islands, taken in their short involvement in the War in the Pacific, in 1945.

While the Russians may have shown little interest in expanding their territorial claims, I suspect they will have just as little interest in relinquishing what they already have. On the other hand, the Chinese are being territorially aggressive at the moment and are expanding their military capability substantially.

Japan cannot face China alone. They need strategic partners in the Region. Who do they have, if the USA decides it's strategic goals do not include Japan?

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

Bring all our forces home, and make them support themselves.

Tell Puerto Rico to either become a state or Go take a leap. No more giant sucking sound of federal Aid and food stamps, with anyone paying any federal income tax. Many of them hate us anyway,,frig them good riddance.

Same with all territories,well cept Guam, cause they have VA service and are not far from the PI. I may need them or medicare( in 17 years)

[Peikko 1,575]

It's like some of you don't know anything about history. I guess that's because most US school kids do not study history. I am shocked with the way a US high school works tbh, shocked and surprised anyone gets a decent education in the US.

[Pooky 3,840]

Bring all our forces home, and make them support themselves.

You can't do that, where the strategic and economic interests of the USA require protection. Japan, South Korea and Taiwan are all major trade partners and leaving them alone to face down China is inviting future economic calamity. The USA will maintain a foreign military presence, as long as the economics make sense.

[Peikko 1,575]

You can't do that, where the strategic and economic interests of the USA require protection. Japan, South Korea and Taiwan are all major trade partners and leaving them alone to face down China is inviting future economic calamity. The USA will maintain a foreign military presence, as long as the economics make sense.

Who cares? US foreign policy costs money and if you know nothing about history is completely unnecessary. Bring them home and reduce the taxes! I vote for that.

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

You can't do that, where the strategic and economic interests of the USA require protection. Japan, South Korea and Taiwan are all major trade partners and leaving them alone to face down China is inviting future economic calamity. The USA will maintain a foreign military presence, as long as the economics make sense.

I f China took over Japan,etc so what. Why is that our business

we trade more with China anyway

Make their economy take on the full cost of protection